Foldable tray for playing cards



April 3, 1956 R. M. BALMER 2,740,632

FOLDABLE TRAY FOR PLAYING CARDS Filed Jan. 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

N RALPH M.BALMER ATTORNEY April 3, 1956 R. M. BALMER FOLDABLE TRAY FOR PLAYING CARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1954 INVENTOR.

RALPH M. BALMER ATTORNEY United States Patent FOLDABLE TRAY FOR :PLAYING CARDS Ralph -M. Balmer, Clinton, Iowa Application January 29, 1954, Serial No. 407,011

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-148) The present invention relates to card trays for holding cards for playing such games as canasta, samba, and others using a multiple deck of cards.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide a tray which can be folded and, when folded, will hold two or three decks of cards; to provide a tray which is useful in carrying the cards from place to place; to simplify the construction of a tray so that the parts are identical and may be made in a single mold when molding plastic; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will be obvious from the following description, because they are inherent in the structure disclosed herein.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while I have shown therein what is now regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention, I desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a tray, opened up, according to this invention;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of one side of a tray, in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 3 shows a tray of the type of this invention, folded or closed up.

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the annexed drawings for a more complete description of this invention.

The tray comprises a pair of complementary identical box-like sections 1 and 2, the sections respectively having flat bottoms B1 and B2, opposite end walls E1, F1 and E2, F2, and opposite side wall portions S1, S1 and S2, S2; the wall portions are joined to and rise respectively from the bottoms. The sections are selectively arrangeable in an unfolded position (Figure l) to afford a clouble-compartmented tray and in a folded position (Figure 3) to afford a closed case. In the unfolded position, the sections lie in end-to-end relationship, bottoms down and horizontally coplanar and the end wall portion E1 of the section 1 lies adjacent and parallel to the corresponding end wall portion E2 of the other section 2. In its unfolded position, the tray is adapted to hold stacks of playing cards, from which the players may draw as the game progresses, in its folded or closed position, the case will suitably store the playing cards.

The selective positioning of the sections is achieved by hinge means interconnecting the adjacent end wall portions E1 and E2 on a horizontal axis A-A spaced above the plane on which the bottoms B1 and B2 are coplanar; and the hinge means is made up of ears 9a and 10a respectively on the adjacent end wall portions E1 and E2 and apertured at 9 and 10 on the axis AA to receive coaxial pivot or hinge pins 7 and 8. The adjacent end wall portions E1 and E2 have, in addition to the ears 9a and 10a, legs 3, 3 and 4, 4, which legs overlap in planes transverse to the hinge axis and which legs 2,740,632 Ratented .Apr. -3 -.1956

have apertures and 6 therein in register with eachzother won :an axiS-P-PE belowaandnparallelttozthehingesaxis .in the 5 :*and:6 =.to .retain the unfolded positions of .the :sections.

The opposite vend walls F1 wand. E2, remote from the hinge axis A.A, respectively. have :ears J28, .12a.and 13a, 13a thereon-and, when .the sections are .folded .together about the hinge means these ears come together and overlap in planes transverse to the hinge axis. The ears respectively have apertures 12 and 13 therein registra' ble in the folded position on an axis CC (Figure 3), and through which registered apertures the locking pin 11 is removably insertable after it has been withdrawn from the leg apertures 5 and 6 to permit folding of the sections in the first place. Thus, the pin 11 is selectively usable to retain the respective positions of the sections.

To facilitate the withdrawing of cards when the sec tions are used as a double-compartmented tray, the walls are respectively notched at 14 through 21.

The legs 3 and 4 respectively have edge portions L1 and L2 which are operative when the sections are folded to rest on the flat surface for supporting the sections as a case, bottoms B1 and B2 upright and the pin-locked ears 12a and 13a uppermost and the hinge means lowermost.

The sections are identical, the ears on one section being offset relative to each other (there being a pair of each of the ears and a pair of each of the legs) so that one ear on one section fits to one side of one ear on the other section and the other car on said one section fits to the same side of the other ear on said other section, and so that the legs similarly fit alongside each other, thus avoiding the necessity of forming the sections as lefts and rights.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structure set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of this invention as disclosed in this specification and as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A foldable tray of the class described, comprising: a pair of complementary box-like sections, each having a bottom and opposite end and opposite side wall portions joined to and rising therefrom, said sections being selectively arrangeable in an unfolded position to afford a double-compartmented tray and in a folded position to afford a closed case, said sections in said unfolded position lying in end-to-end relation, bottoms down and horizontally coplanar and one end wall portion of one section lying adjacent and parallel to a corresponding end wall portion of the other section; hinge means interconnecting said adjacent end wall portions on a horizontal axis spaced above the plane on which the bottoms are coplanar; said adjacent end wall portions respectively having legs thereon overlapping in planes transverse to the hinge axis and said legs having apertures therein in register with each other on an axis below and parallel to the hinge axis in said unfolded position; the end wall portions of the sections remote from the hinge axis respectively having ears thereon, said hinge means enabling folding of the sections together to said folded position, said ears in said folded position being arranged to come together and overlap in planes transverse to the hinge axis, said ears respectively having apertures therein registrable in said folded position on an axis parallel to and spaced above the hinge axis; and a removable locking pin selectively insertable through the registered ear apertures when the sections are in folded position or through the registered leg apertures when the sections are in unfolded position for releasably retaining the respective positions.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the legs 

